Lallone left PNB four years ago. She wasn’t necessarily ready to stop dancing;

“I felt like as long as I was learning, wanting to change, wanting to improve, that I still had a desire to keep going.”

But she and PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal didn’t see eye to eye on when Lallone should actually leave the company. She wanted to stay longer; he didn’t agree.

Lucky for her fans, Lallone had the world’s shortest jump from PNB to her next job at Seattle’s Teatro Zinzanni. Literally, she walked across the street and transformed herself from ballerina to cabaret performer.

Lallone didn’t even apply for the gig. She’d heard that Zinzanni’s Associate Artistic Director, Reenie Duff, wanted to talk to her about an upcoming show, “Bonsoir Lilliane,” choreographed by Broadway great Tommy Tune.

She remembers how that conversation was initiated. Lallone was double parking on Mercer, just outside PNB. Duff turned up at her car, and invited the ballerina to talk. Several hours of yakking later, Lallone’s second act was underway.

Teatro Zinzanni may be just across the street from McCaw Hall, where PNB performs, but the intimate velvet tent with its antique wooden floor and mirrored walls could be on another planet for all that these two performance venues resemble one another.

Photo by Angela Sterling

In McCaw Hall, PNB company members dance for up to 3,000 people. A large orchestra pit is located between the audience and the stage. If you have good seats down front, you can see the dancers’ faces. If not, well, opera glasses are always a good bet at McCaw.

In Zinzanni’s tent, Lallone finds herself on a 9 foot circular stage; she can look right into the eyes of the people who come to the dinner theater. And they can see her. She’s just inches away.

It was a challenge at first.

“I was a big mover,” she explains. “So you step out three feet from your center and it’s someone’s dinner table!”

But Lallone figured out how to use that proximity to good effect, how to make the eye contact and the intimate surroundings work for her.

And she learned that to use her ballet training in that small venue, she had to move her performance into another dimension: up into the air.

“I needed a new partner. And the new partner wouldn’t be a person, it would be a thing,” explains the dancer.

Specifically, a large metal hoop called a lyra. Lallone took aerial training lessons, and she performs regularly now up above the audience.

But Lallone isn’t part of the cast of this summer’s Zinzanni production, “The Return to Chaos.” The show actually marks her first solo foray into choreography. It’s an artistic path that surprised her.

Photo by Michael Doucett

“Choreography was always something (to which) I said No!” she laughs. “I had so many ‘nos’. No I don’t do this, no I can’t do this, in my brain. And all of those ‘nos’ have gone away.”

The last four years have been a whirlwind for Ariana Lallone. She’s learned new skills, but most of all, she says she’s learned to say yes.

“I had a single focus in my career, which was ballet.” Lallone pauses to think. “Walking across the street to Zinzanni, my world just opened up sideways.”

But even though you can take the dancer out of the ballet company, you can’t remove decades of ballet from the dancer.

“I’ll always be a ballerina,” says Lallone firmly. “I may branch out, but that will always be my ‘being.’

What will make your event truly unforgettable?

Fabulous entertainment from Teatro ZinZanni will make your fundraiser, company meeting or celebration the event of the year! ZinZanni is thrilled to launch our new offsite entertainment program! From top to bottom, beginning to end; we’ll help you create an event with performance elements customized for your corporate functions, holiday celebrations, fundraisers, and parties at the venue of your choosing! Any event of any size can be transformed with Teatro ZinZanni’s world-class circus performers, cabaret stars, gut-busting comedians, incredible musicians, dazzling costumes and more!

Our team will work closely with you to create the event of your dreams offering a wide range of options to fit your budget and your needs. Teatro ZinZanni has partnered with EnJoy Productions, a local leader in producing world-class events, to bring together unrivaled talent from around the world to you. Contact us now and let our imagination run wild for you!

Have Questions? Contact our Group Sales and Events Team at 206.802.0013

]]>http://zinzanni.com/seattle/let-us-bring-teatro-zinzanni-to-you/feed/0Behind the Lens: Creating the New TZ Video Campaignhttp://zinzanni.com/seattle/behind-the-scenes/
http://zinzanni.com/seattle/behind-the-scenes/#commentsMon, 06 Apr 2015 17:40:20 +0000http://zinzanni.com/seattle/?p=7636]]>We’re hoping at this point you’ve seen our new TV spot and sizzle reel, the culmination of a 16 hour shoot and countless hours of pre -planning. We’re here to share some insight from our amazing video producers, VMG Studios 520, on the creation of this spectacular spot.

VMG Studios 520 and Teatro ZinZanni

Maybe you have seen this on air this month? It’s the Teatro ZinZanni commercial we produced with their amazingly talented performers. It has become one of our favorite videos in our ten-year history… Enjoy the spot and then read more of the details in the other stories.

TV SPOT:

Sizzle Reel:

Can you hear the wind?

Part of what makes the ZinZanni spot so creative is the use of audio. Our team spent a lot of effort coming up with just the right music, with a sense of mystery and a lot of space in it so that the voice over and sound effects could be blended in perfectly. Speaking of sound effects…do you hear the wind? How about the woodblock? And just how many times do you hear that wonderful laugh?? Play it a few times…watch it with your ears.

Glad you asked about how we shot the ZinZanni video. When you go about something this ambitious, your success depends upon planning (and then execution).

From the fine dining to the exciting acts and hilarious banter, the cast of The Hot Spot shines and the critics rave. You can catch the show at Teatro ZinZanni until June 7.

– “Lady Rizo is ahell of an addition to the Teatro Zinzanni lineup with her sex appeal, powerful voice and zany sense of humor.”

“The food is worth a special mention as well…The menu for this show, from a split pea soup with lime crème, to roasted pumpkin mascarpone ravioli, to passion fruit cheesecake, was both unusual and delicious.”- Edge Media Network

– “Teatro ZinZanni [is] a unique treasure that seems like a Disneyland for adults,” on the Huffington Post

– “The brilliant, wisecracking Frank Ferrante holds the show together as emcee extraordinaire…..with all the reasons to see this ZinZanni production, watching Ferrante in action is right at the top,” The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

– “People walked out of the main tent and into the lobby after the show with smiles on their faces and a real sense of having experienced something unique and wonderful,” – The Examiner

– “The cast and crew of ‘The HotSpot’ create a warm and welcoming experience for the attendees, providing excellent service and entertainment that is sure to please,” UW Daily

Caesar had the chance to recreate Cocktail Time with Caesar live on air with KOMO Anchor Mary Nam and TZ Bar Czar Jamie Rizzo (plus a surprise appearance from Steve Poole!)

We also had the pleasure of having Lady Rizo and the Teatro ZinZanni band on Art Zone with Nancy Guppy. The piece was filmed at the wonderful Gage Academy of Art. You can see Lady Rizo perform at the 17:00 minute mark and the closing credits.

]]>http://zinzanni.com/seattle/thunderous-applause-for-the-hot-spot/feed/0Caesar’s Caesar-isms!http://zinzanni.com/seattle/caesars-caesar-isms/
http://zinzanni.com/seattle/caesars-caesar-isms/#commentsFri, 06 Mar 2015 21:26:27 +0000http://zinzanni.com/seattle/?p=7266]]>If you’re a fan of the Caesar, then you know he’s got a plethora of catch phrases at his disposal. With so many to choose from….which one is your favorite?

You can catch Frank Ferrante as Caesar now through June 7th in The Hot Spot.

Beaumount and Caswell have drank all the mezcal, and Don Diego’s hacienda has closed up shop. We asked the cast to share some of their favorite memories during their time in Hacienda Holiday.

Ariana Lallone:

“I would say one of my favorite moments in the show was …waiting to see what “Buck” drew in the Cash and Lupita bit…as well as the improv response that followed. I also loved every night….standing at front of house with the entire cast bidding the audience “Buenos Noches”. This show has been so fun and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it.”

Christine Deaver:

“One of my favorite moments from Hacienda Holiday was a buyout from Snoqualmie Casino. Our audience participant “Buck” was this great funny guy who had a very unique walk and arm gesture that resembled Popeye. So Kevin and I took advantage of this and copied his walk over and over again to the point to where we were laughing so hard I had to bend over and cross my legs. By the end of the night, everyone was walking like this guy and he left the tent a rockstar!”

But there’s never a dull moment around here. We’re putting down the tequila, and picking up the martinis! Tonight we open The Hot Spot, featuring the return of Chef Caesar and ZinZanni debut of Lady Rizo!

]]>http://zinzanni.com/seattle/saying-adios-to-hacienda-holiday/feed/0Food from Hacienda Holiday!http://zinzanni.com/seattle/food-from-hacienda-holiday/
http://zinzanni.com/seattle/food-from-hacienda-holiday/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 00:21:41 +0000http://zinzanni.com/seattle/?p=7229]]>The talk of the town right now is all about the food in our current show Hacienda Holiday. Chef Erik has created an amazing menu with a south of the border zest, plus our bar manger Jamie has concocted perfectly paired Spanish wines and Mezcal flights for your tasting delights!

“And the meal? Best I’ve ever had at a ZinZanni show, from appetizer through dessert”

]]>http://zinzanni.com/seattle/food-from-hacienda-holiday/feed/0Duo Rose in the Hot Seathttp://zinzanni.com/seattle/duo-rose-in-the-hot-seat/
http://zinzanni.com/seattle/duo-rose-in-the-hot-seat/#commentsTue, 28 Oct 2014 19:00:50 +0000http://zinzanni.com/seattle/?p=7119]]>Duo Rose Trapeze made their Teatro ZinZanni premiere this fall in “Hacienda Holiday” and have been a delight to have in the tent. In order to get to know them a bit better, ZinZanni staff had the opportunity to do a Q&A with Duo Rose. From salmon fishing to baking delicious treats, we learned they are certainly making the most out of their time in Seattle!

What has been your favorite experience at ZinZanni?

Getting to know the cast and crew has been one of the best parts of working here. Getting to be a part of this family has been an absolute joy.

We had a great time in rehearsal with the cast. The process of building the show was a lot of fun stepping out of our comfort zone to sing and dance as well as speak on stage for the first time. (Not to mention that these were the first rehearsals in our entire career that have ever run on time…)

We have also enjoyed the response to our compulsive baking. According to the lovely Kevin Kent, I am the “Devil” for compromising his waistline.

Another, very special experience was going out fishing with Joe “The Godfather” Toro. We were lucky and caught the last two Salmon of the season.

How do you decide what music to use for your act?

We have used the same song for our entire career. We were listening to this artist for a while and when we heard that song we fell in love with it. From there we decided to build our routine around it. It’s Matthew Schoening’s “Emotional Clockwork”.

Where did you meet? How did your collaboration begin?

Samuel – We met seven years ago in Chicago. We had performed in the same Gala fundraiser for a local youth circus program. She was doing a group unicycle act and I was performing a Russian barre act at the event. I had seen her around the venue and was quite smitten with her but she didn’t even notice my existence.

We didn’t see each other again for about a year after the event until we met again by accident. At the time I was living at her contortion coaches house. Her coach, the world famous Oyunchimeg “Oyuna” Yadamjav, taught her Mongolian contortion classes from her living room in Skokie, IL. Oyuna called me one afternoon to ask if I could fill in for one of her classes and stretch the next person who walked through the door.

After an awkward and uncomfortable stretching session I mustered up the courage to invite her to a circus open gym. After several weeks of training we became a couple and worked to develop our current act.

What is the coolest venue you’ve performed in and why?

One of the most special venues we have had the chance to perform in was the Karl Marx theater in Havana, Cuba. We have the honor of being the first American Circus act to perform in Cuba since 1959. We were officially sanctioned by the US and Cuban governments to perform in the 9th International Circus festival CIRCUBA.

It was incredible to perform for the opening of the festival to a sold out house of more than 5,500 people packed well past capacity. The crowd was incredibly excited to see American artists, and was so enthusiastic that we couldn’t even hear our music the whole routine.

What is the most dangerous aerial trick you’ve attempted? Have you perfected it?

We have been playing with a “Skin the cat to feet”. It is a dangerous open rotation. We have not yet caught it and the bail is Sylvia landing on her head. Luckily we train through trial and error over a foam pit.

If you had to splurge on some not-so-healthy food……fried chicken or pizza?!

Samuel – Why not both? Sylvia is incredibly lucky and can eat whatever she pleases. I on the other hand keep to high waisted pants for my costume and pull up sessions after every show with our stage manager Stormy Edwards.

Sylvia- I usually choose sweets though. I can eat an obscene amount of chocolate.

]]>http://zinzanni.com/seattle/duo-rose-in-the-hot-seat/feed/0“Best dinner show in town!” -Seattle PIhttp://zinzanni.com/seattle/best-dinner-show-in-town-seattle-pi/
http://zinzanni.com/seattle/best-dinner-show-in-town-seattle-pi/#commentsMon, 28 Jul 2014 16:53:41 +0000http://zinzanni.com/seattle/?p=6880]]>When Sparks Fly has been open for over a month now and both press and fans alike are raving! Let’s see what they have to say…

Here are some highlights from the press:

“An absolute delight from beginning to end and, unless you have an aversion to smiling, a killer evening out” -Broadway World

“ZinZanni shows are the kind of over-the-top and jaw-dropping performances that make for an unforgettable experience” – Parent Map

“A refuge from the mundane throes of ordinary life. Escape the question of what is and isn’t real. Put away your phone. Replace the urge to text and tweet with living in the moment.” -Herald Net

“Teatro ZinZanni is Seattle’s best kept secret.” -Seattle PI

“Having tickets to Teatro ZinZanni is a bit like Christmas come-early” -Issaquah/Bellevue Reporter

Our facebook/yelp fans say:

“This place is amazing!” -Yelp Review

“It’s not just a show, it’s an experience!” -Different Yelp Review

“Cannot recommend this venue enough!” -Facebook Fan

“I’ve been here on vacation for a week and this is the COOLEST thing I’ve done my whole trip! You all were absolutely amazing!” -Another Facebook Fan

Ah. We are feeling the love. Come on out to the tent to give us your own 2 cents on the show.

To wrap up this post we think ParentMap put it best when they asked “Where else do you get to see what Frankenstein looks like shirtless, swinging from a trapeze bar?”

]]>http://zinzanni.com/seattle/best-dinner-show-in-town-seattle-pi/feed/0The Magic of the Maestrohttp://zinzanni.com/seattle/the-magic-of-the-maestro/
http://zinzanni.com/seattle/the-magic-of-the-maestro/#commentsMon, 07 Jul 2014 16:40:24 +0000http://zinzanni.com/seattle/?p=6828]]>If you have seen our newest show When Sparks Fly, you will know that the character of Maestro Voronin does not say a single word the entire evening. If you have not seen our newest show yet…oops. Okay, um spoiler alert above!

Though we never see him speak while in character, Voronin has to talk sometimes, and to help him when he is in America is journalist and translator Julia Ochs. Below Julia has answered some questions about here experience with both Teatro ZinZanni and what it feels like to watch Voronin perform. For those of you who have seen the show, she is spot on. If you still haven’t seen it WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS POST???

When and how did you first meet Norm Langill and Teatro ZinZanni?

My first visit to Teatro ZinZanni was a fortuitous event; I worked at the Russian World newspaper at that time and we had three comps for the Press night on May 27, 2010. The three people that were supposed to go were: the editor-in-chief Alex, his wife Anna, and a reporter Olga. That afternoon Anna was not feeling well and she offered me her ticket. So, I ended up at the show. Maestro’s Menagerie was my first dinner show ever. I had never seen that style of entertaining before. And even though I go to ballet, theater, opera, musicals and other shows pretty often, Teatro ZinZanni offered an experience so different and so unique, that all those other forms of entertainment immediately paled in comparison!

How would you describe the Maestro Voronin experience?

Watching Maestro Voronin perform is – quite literally – a magical experience. And it’s not just about his genius as a magician. His character charms, mesmerizes and hypnotizes you from the first moment you see him. There is something so familiar about him, as if some persona from the distant past is calling out to you; but at the same time he is so unique and peculiar, one could not find a single character to compare him to. One could describe Maestro Voronin as the essence of count Dracula, Casanova, and count Cagliostro; but in order to complete that image, one would also have to add Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton into the mix. Voronin’s combination of comedy and magic instantly wins over even the biggest skeptics. And the best part is – Maestro says it all without uttering a single word throughout the show. The fact that his character is a mute makes him transcend the limitations of languages, locations, and cultures. He’s got that universal appeal, which makes his audience fall in love with his art no matter in which part of the world he performs. Skillfully maintaining a very delicate balance on the edge of humor and seduction, funny and wise, inspiring thought and provoking laughter, he plays with your senses, and takes you outside of reality. He makes you wonder. He makes you believe. He makes you feel.The spiegeltent is like his very own lab, where he studies his guests and experiments to produce a formula of what makes us come alive.